BY: EARTHA LOWE
One of my fondest memories growing up is of a lady nicknamed “Crabby.” Like clockwork, and at the beginning of every school summer break in Jamaica, Crabby set up a food stand selling sweet, buttery, crisp boiled corn on the cob, and boiled crab.
Before I get talking about this fond memory any further though, let me define “food stand.” Picture two to three large deep pots with sweet Jamaican boiling water on what might have been coal stoves. Buckets of live crab and corn being delivered throughout the day by handcart, by Crabby’s husband. Now, the most exciting part of this experience? My brother who is a year older than me came to be Crabby’s “little helper”. My big brother working for Crabby meant free corn on the cob, and crab, for the whole summer for me and my two sisters. And no, there was no getting tired of eating it. This was good Jamaican food by the roadside!
You’ll love the sweetness and herbaceous nature of this recipe as much as if you had experienced Crabby’s cooking. This dish is inspired by fond memories of summer and ingredients native to where I spent my younger years, where thyme, scallion, coconut milk, scotch bonnet pepper, and the pimento seed are essential to home cooking.
You’ll need
- 8 ears of corn, husks, and silk removed
- 2 stalks green onion/scallion
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 tablespoon whole pimento seeds
- 2 cups coconut milk
- To garnish (optional): ½ cup Parmesan, feta or Asiago cheese; 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives and 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper.
Directions
Remove the husks and silk from each corn, then rinse and place in a deep pot. Roughly chop the garlic and green onion and place in the pot on top of the corn along with the thyme, pimento seeds, peppercorn, and salt. Add the coconut milk.
Fill the pot with cool water. Place a lid on the pot and bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Remove the lid and reduce the heat to bring the corn to a rolling boil for 10-12 minutes longer.
Cooking Tips
Load on the CORN-diments! cayenne pepper, parmesan cheese, chives can all be used as a garnish. Add a squeeze of lime for an extra zing.
Why Coconut Milk? The coconut milk will give your cob a rich, buttery flavor. Cooked with herbs and spices, you can enjoy it as is, or you can elevate the taste of the dish with an extra topping of chive-infused garlic butter.
Chive-Infused Garlic Butter
You’ll need
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
¼ scotch bonnet pepper, seeded (or as desired)
½ cup chives, roughly chopped
Directions
Combine the garlic, scotch bonnet pepper, and chives in a food processor and process until smooth. Combine with the butter. Set aside until ready to use.
Happy Cooking!
Who doesn’t love fresh corn? Now that the ever-anticipated summer in Canada has rolled around, it means this seasonal produce is at its freshest. Farmers markets and grocery stores are filled with buckets of corn for shucking. Get out there, get some, and bite into that crisp, juicy spray-pop of sweetness!
I never learned Crabby’s real name, but she grew to love our little circle as much as we loved her.
